Knife sharpener



J. URBAN gum swarm Filed Oct. 56, 1944 11mm, /05P// Mean/v ,qrmewzy Patented Aug. 27, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,406,519 1 I KNLFEYSHARPENER" Joseph-Urban, Dearth; nispueatitnoetober so, 1944, SerialNd: scopes zcie'ims. (c1; "i-;-2"14)- This invention relates-to ai knife sharpener and has to do particularly with: a sharpener which can be advantageously used: for homerpurposes.

A general. obj e'ctr of the-invention i-s to provide a novel and elfici'ent sharpenet coris'l;ructit'nf which will properly sharpen: a knife: blade and which can be used. notonly with safety" but can be operated by those unskilled: theartoff sharp ening and putting an edge upon a blade. An abrading element is employed and the device may be supplied with a number of abrading elements with different cutting characteristics ranging from a relatively coarse file to a finer cutting stone.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a sharpener constructed in accordance with the invention. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The sharpener takes the form of a body member l which may have a gripping or handle part 2 which can be easily held by one hand and a wider base portion 3. The wider base portion provides suitable size and strength for the holding of the abrading element and provides a base area so that the device may be stored in an upright position.

The body is formed with a hole or passage 5 therein and a slot 6 which intersects the passage. For convenience of manufacture the hole 5 may pass entirely through the body with its lower end illustrated at 1.

The body is provided with a sort of chamber or cavity at the bottom of the slot 6 which is defined by an inclined bottom wall H), the inclination of which is downwardly in a direction toward the opening of the slot 6. The back wall II and the front wall I2 of the cavity are inclined preferably so that they are at right angles to the inclined bottom ID. This cavity is for the reception of an abrading element I5 which can be slipped into and out of position through the open sides of the cavity. The disposition of the bottom wall I!) at an angle and the cooperating angle on the walls I I and I2 provide an arrangement for the reception of an abrading element conventionally made of rectangular cross section. Accordingly, the abrading element fits snugly in the cavity.

If desired, the abrading element may be permanently located or it may be arranged so that it can be removed so that the abrading element may be replaced or one having different cutting characteristics substituted therefor.-

Means are -provided forapplying pressure" to the blade of a. knife and this takes the form or a suitable rod or ost. I G s-lidably mounted in the hole 5- and. advantageously provided with a suitable capo'r head. piece H. @n: the opposite end oftherod; andlyin'giin the slot 6 is a blade em gaging. piece; 18 suitably attached to the rod. The pressure piece [8 may advantageously be mounted on the rod I6 in an eccentric manner so that its four edges 20, 2|, 22 and 23 are located at different distances from the center of the post.

In the operation of the device a knife blade, which may be termed the work piece, as shown at W, is passed into the slot with its cutting edge positioned toward the abrading element. It will be noted that the slot 6 is materially wider than the thickness of the blade. The blade is moved into position under the pressure member I8. As a result, one side of the cutting edge of the blade is engaged by the abrading element and the other side of the blade is engaged by the pressure piece l8. In this position the knife blade is reciprocated back and forth in a direction paralleling the cutting edge and thus the cutting edge is sharpened by the abrading action. Suitable pressure may be applied by a thumb or finger to the top of the post l1. This will be regulated as desired. After one edge of the knife has been subjected to the sharpening action the blade may be reversed so that the opposite edge is placed next to the abrading element. The eccentric disposition of the pressure piece I 8 makes it feasible to apply the knif edge with pressure at various locations on the cutting element. The edge 20 may apply the pressure nearest the lower edge of the abrading element while the edge 23 will extend well back toward the bottom of the slot 6 to apply pressure at the corresponding part of the abrading element. This increases the life of the abrading element as different portions of its surface can be used. The edges of the portion 2| and 22 may apply pressure to the intermediate portions of the element. As the blade is reciprocated the body thereof may rest upon the surface 25 of the slot 6, while the edge engages the angularly positioned stone. The angle of the abrading element is preferably such as to provide an efficient sharpening and edging of the cutting edge of the knife.

Iclaim:

1. A'knife sharpener comprising, an elongated fbody of handle-like form adapted to be gripped 1 in the hand of the user, and having an extending end part beyond the portion adapted to be so gripped, said end part having a slot extending ipartially therethrough transverse to the length }of the body, said slot having a chamber in its innermost portion extending through .the body v with the chamber having an inclined bottom iwall, an abrading jstone in the ,chamberand adapted" to be" pushed; into position throfughthe" open end of the chamber, said ab-rading stone having its lower surface seating upon the w clined bottom and having its upper surface ex tending angularly in the direction transverse of .7. 1 the slot-whereby the edge of a knife blade. assed 7 1 into the slot angularly engages the surface of the abrading stone, said body having an'opening ex-jr tending lengthwise through the handle part and opening into the slot; a rod member positioned and freely slidable in the opening, and a pressure piece connected to the rod and located in the islot, the exposed end of the rod adapted to be pressed to urge the; pressure member against the 1 side of the knife blade to in turn apply'the knife I bladeto the cutting stone with pressure.

- L2..1A knife sharepener comprising;- an elongated j bodyof handle-like form'adapted to be gripped inthe hand of the user, and having an extending 1 end part-beyond the portion adapted to be so 4 gripped, said end part having a slot extending partiallytherethrough transverse to the length of the body, said slot having a chamber in its innermost portion extending through the body'with' the chamber having an inclined bottom wall, an abrading stone in the chamber and adapted to be pushed into position through the open end of the chamber, said abrading stone having its lower surface seatingupon the inclinedbottom and.

shaving-its upper surface extending angularly in the directiontransvers e "of the slot, whereby the wise through the handle part and opening into the'slot; arod member positioned and freel slidable in theopening, a pressure piece connected to the rod and located in the slot, the exposed end of the rod adapted to be pressed to urge the pressure member against the side of the knife blade to; in turn apply the knife blade to the cut-s .ting vstone with, pressure, said pressure member being-eccentrically. connected to the rod where- I by therodmayibecturned inthe opening so that 'it maybe applied to the side of the knife blade with the cutting, edge of the knife blade engaging theabrading stone at different locations across the width thereof.

a j JOSEPH URBAN. 

